Monday July 19th. VI.

Attended Prayers and recitation in Topography this Morning. I { 247 } was not taken up as usual. I returned home and after breakfast attended a Lecture
of Mr. Channing’s. It was upon the way of writing. He said it was not wonderful that
it was an amusement so little popular, for that it required much exertion. A man
when he undertakes to write must sit down and first drive away all other thoughts
from his mind, he must think upon his subject exclusively, he must not give himself
any range in ideas, but must wait and work for his production. It was not proper
however when the moment for writing had come to stop the current of the thoughts,
as
was the case with some in order to correct what had gone before, a person should
write upon the impulse of the moment. Nor should he stop until he was to look over
the whole for the sake of correction. Nature is the best auxiliary to powerful
writing. It was the habit with some to write very quick he said, and they were able
to do so from practice and because their ideas always lie on the surface. They have
a few common places to say on every subject. Writing of this kind was shallow and
weak, however this was not uniformly the case for there were some who could write
from the inspiration of the moment as strongly and as richly as they ever would be
able to do. These were great and uncommon geniuses, and not very frequently
occurring. He expressed himself as fully believing the dictum of seasons of
inspiration or at least that men could write much better at one time than at
another, which Dr. Johnson speaks so severely of. This man however is no admirer of
Dr. Johnson in any thing, and when he does allude to him does not do it with much
respect. Though I myself do not think much of Mr. Channing’s method. Study does
exceeding well to form a style but practice is as good and, if one can write
handsomely without deep study, I think it has more effect. For my own part if study
is to form style I do not think I shall be so fortunate as to become a good
critic.

As soon as he had finished, I returned home and studied my Paley until recitation
time. I have had some idea of making an analysis of this book but on the whole I
hardly thought it worth the trouble. He writes in a style so simple that I shall not
be afraid to trust it to my memory. At ten we attended recitation and I on being
called upon acquitted myself very handsomely. After it was over, he detained us with
a very dry lecture upon the subject very little varied from Dr. Paley and an
explanation of his system of Utility which we have not yet seen. This over, I spent
the rest of the morning in looking over the lesson for tomorrow.

After dinner, I spent an hour at Otis’ looking over the lesson in Trigonometry
which was quite long. At two, I attended Mr. Nuttall’s { 248 } lecture
upon the Roots and Stems. He gave us examples of the different roots, but the
afternoon was so oppressively warm, that I could do nothing. My attention was not
in
my power. His lecture was very long and detained us until after three. I hurried
home, and spending a few minutes more in going over the lesson, attended the
recitation. He was so concerned with others that it was not in his power to give us
more than a few minutes attention, not enough to approach me with his quizzical
face. He has the most singular countenance when he is in the least interested that
it is with great difficulty that I can avoid laughing. At last I obtained a respite.
This is the most busy day in the week with us, and I have not one moment of leisure
time from the Prayer bell in the morning until four o’clock. We have but three more
of these however and then enter upon our last College Year. A most august situation
in my former recollections when I little thought of being here so quickly. The
remaining hours until Prayers were devoted to the writing of my Journal which before
I had not been able to touch.

After Prayers I drilled my section but was very much dissatisfied with mine, they
never conducted themselves in so shameful a manner since I have had them. They at
last made me exceedingly angry and I gave them a lecture individually upon the
subject which made some impression upon them. I was afraid that I should get the
character of harshness which would very probably be the case from what I have been
told as the impression I first make. I was therefore too lenient and appeared too
well satisfied with moderate efforts. When I had piqued them they began to do
exceedingly well. I was obliged then to dismiss them having recovered my good
opinion of them. This is probably the last time they come out together under me.
After drill I spent an hour with the Commandants as usual. When I came home, looked
over some hard sums without doing them, read my Bible and went to bed. X:40.